And L&D nurses out there that could help me with a school assignment?

Nursing was a caring profession and I wanted to help people. I always wanted to be an L&D nurse. Prerequisite just took time to complete. The hardest part was being so busy. Everything was doable but it all took time NCLEX. Was stressful. If you study during school you will pass. I did pass NCLEX the first time. In the first part of my career I did figure out dosage but now pharmacy usually does it. I do not use dimensional analysis but the Nursing school I teach at does. I love watching the dad hold their baby for the first time. I hate cleaning up emesis.

I'd love to answer your questions

What made you go into this area of nursing? I was working Med-Surg in the Army and became pregnant. I hated Med-surg with a passion and was desparate to get out and go ANY where else. I was offered postpartum, and I gladly accepted.

We're you originally interested in another area of nursing ? Yes, I never, ever dreamed I would end up in LD. I hated it in nursing school and disliked crying babies even more. Once I became pregnant and started working in postpartum I became more interested in it. It didn't take long for me to realize how amazing it is to work in this field.

Was it easy for you to get all the prerequisites done to get into nursing school? Yes, but I am academically gifted. School has always been easy for me. The prereqs were cake. Nursing school- not so much.

What was the hardest part of nursing school for you? Sitting in class listening to powerpoints being read to me and doing the excessive amounts of homework.

Was the NCLEX really as hard as some people make it sound ? I'm sure people will differ in opinion, but I found the NCLEX easy. The way I see it, by the time you are ready to take the NCLEX you either know your stuff or you don't. All the cramming in the world and studying facts are not going to get you through it. You have to understand the material and be able to critically think things through. Regurgitating facts (like in prereq and high school courses) will not suffice. Being a good test taker helps.

Did you pass the NCLEX the first time you took it? Yes. 75 questions in about an hour.

Do you have to convert medications from one unit to another often? I use this skill when needing to figure out a dosage amount. Like for instance, give terb 0.25mg subq and i have a multidose vial. I need to know how much to draw up for that particular dosage. And if you do, do you use dimensional analysis? yes.

What is your favorite part of your job? Helping woman through one of the most important steps in their life. Bringing babies into the world is amazing, heartwarming, and hard work. The labor nurse taking care of a laboring patient will make or break how a woman feels about her birthing experience, NOT the doctor.

What do you least like about your job? The stress, the politics, and the endless amounts of charting.

I just want to thank you both so much for answering! I just noticed but excuse all the typos! And lovemyjoblandd, so were you active duty in the army, or you still are? My husband is in the army :) . I've gotten so used to the army life that I am honestly considering joining once I get my BSN. I'm still working on prereqs and have a long way to go, but it's something that I really think about a lot. Again thank you both for helping me out, I appreciate it!

Steph, I was in the army for 10 years. I started as a medic and did the AMEDD Enlisted Commissioning Program to get my BSN. I finished my obligation after commissioning and decided I am too old, too fat, and too stubborn to deal with it anymore. I've been living happily as a civilian in 2012 :). I would definitely recommend the Army Nurse Corps to anyone though. The Army was the best thing that has ever happened to me and made me the person and nurse I am today.

Your post made me laugh about why you didn't want to continue being in the army. Hearing from people like you who have been in the army nurse corps and that have had a positive experience really helps me decide about joining one day. Also, would you mind giving me your name, we have to put it on our interview post, unless you are not comfortable with that and I'll let my professor know. And you are definitely right when you said that it's the nurses that make or break the birthing experience for a mother, I was lucky enough that I had awesome nurses for both of my kids' births. I actually had my first in a civilian hospital but I had my second at Ft.Irwin and all the nurses who attended to me were awesome!

I prefer to remain anon.

It's actually an online class, and she specifically said email or phone a nurse. I don't know any nurses personally so this site has helped me connect with L&D nurses as that is the area I am interested in right now.

I will respect that, and thank you again for taking the time to answer my questions.